‘Over 100 years old!’ Tinubu Orders Relocation of 29 Prisons Over Security

OwelekeTV (News) — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the relocation of 29 correctional facilities across the country, citing security threats and inappropriate locations.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this known on Friday during the commissioning of newly acquired security equipment at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) headquarters in Abuja.

Raising concerns over the placement of some correctional centres, he questioned why they were situated in sensitive areas.

“For instance, Agodi in Ibadan—what is a custodial centre doing in a market? In Ikoyi, why are you sharing a fence with people playing golf? In Enugu, what are you doing inside the GRA? In Akwa Ibom, why are you facing the government house? Port Harcourt and even Suleja are also cases in point,”

he said.

The minister pointed out that many of these facilities, some over 100 years old, were no longer suitable for holding inmates.

“I want to assure you that the process of relocation has started, and we will get it done,” he added.

On the same occasion, the Controller General of NCoS, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, disclosed that 39 new operational vehicles had been procured to improve inmate movement and security.

According to him, these vehicles, which will be strategically deployed, will ensure better court attendance and address the high number of Awaiting Trial Persons (ATP).

Official records indicate that as of February 17, 2025, the total number of inmates in Nigeria stood at 80,066. Out of this, 66% (53,225) were pretrial detainees, while only 34% (26,841) were convicted prisoners.

The security measures also include five bullet-resistant guard booths to fortify prisons against external attacks. “These booths are equipped with long-range surveillance and can withstand high-caliber ammunition, explosives, and dynamite threats,”

Nwakuche stated.